Elementary

Chapter 1

"Daddy, Daddy wake up!"

Stiles barely had time to react before a solid weight landed on his chest.   

"Oof! You have to lay off those chicken nuggets, Sweet Pea."   

"Daddy!" Grace giggled from above him.   

"Just kidding!"  

Opening his eyes, he found himself face to face with his smiling daughter. Her blonde hair was sticking up in every direction, similar to what he imagined his own looked like. Smiling back at her, Stiles pulled her down towards him, peppering kisses all over her face.   

Squealing with laughter, Grace nuzzled into Stiles' neck.   

"I love you, Daddy."  

Stiles couldn't have stopped the smile that bloomed across his face if he tried.   

"I love you too, Gracie girl." Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, Stiles squeezed her tightly, Closing his eyes, he basked in the warm sun and the little girl he loved more than anything.   

A few minutes later, Stiles groaned as his alarm began blaring loudly, and Grace began poking him in the side.  

"Come on Daddy, we're going to be late!"

Squirming from his arms, she jumped on the bed. Stretching out, Stiles feigned ignorance.  

"Late for what? The dentist? A rocket to the moon?"  

"No Daddy, we're going to be late for kindergarten!"  

Stiles had been trying to pretend that the day hadn't been coming, when he'd finally have to let his little girl out into the world. She'd been to preschool, but that had been hard enough, and was only half days.      

"Okay, Sugar Plum. Let's go pick out something pretty for you wear."  

Grace waited patiently next to the bed as Stiles stretched out and rolled off the bed. Holding out her hand for him to take, she lead him down the hall, bouncing with the energy he himself had possessed as a child, and well into his teens. Sometimes it was easy for him to forget that she wasn't biologically his, especially in moments like these.  

The sun shone brightly through the window, and the light yellow paint on Grace's walls seemed to glow. The room had been painted only two months earlier, when Grace woke up one summer morning and informed Stiles that she was sick and tired of her pink walls and that they were too babyish for her. Stiles hadn't let her hang out with Lydia for a week after that.  

Tugging on his arm, Grace smiled up at him.  

"Can I wear my tutu skirt from Uncle Scott and Aunt Allison?"  

"If that's what you want." Digging through the top drawer, Stiles finally found the tiny pink skirt that Scott and Allison had given Grace for her birthday last year. Grace tugged on the hem of Stiles's t-shirt.  

"And my Batman shirt from Gramps?"  

For the second time that morning, Stiles' smile widened, and he looked down at his little girl, wondering how he'd gotten so lucky with her.  

"Sure thing, Chicken Wing."

Grace wrinkled her nose up at him. They'd made a game of Stiles making up random nicknames for her. The last clearly wasn't one of her favorites.   

"Don't like that one?" Grace shook her head, hair flying behind her.  

"No Daddy, I'm a little girl, not a chicken!"  

"But you taste so good!" Sweeping her into his arms, he pretended to nibble at her hand, relishing in the sound of her laughter.  

-----  

A few minutes later, Stiles had managed to wrangle her into the outfit, which included a pair of high top pink Chuck Taylors that his dad and Melissa had given Grace for Christmas the previous year. Setting her on the counter in the bathroom, he started brushing her hair.  

"What do you think, Cupcake? Pigtails?" Grace nodded vehemently.  

"With my sparkly hairbows?"  

"Definitely."  

Even with all the energy she had, Grace sat still as he did her hair, and he thanked whoever had invented detangler, because he couldn't stand the thought of hurting her, even like that.   

Stiles did his best to part her hair straight, and pull the hair into two neat pigtails, making sure not to pull too tight, because he knew Grace didn't like that. It took a few tries to get them right, but eventually he got there, and received a smile in the mirror from his little girl.  

After Grace's favorite breakfast of peanut butter waffles and chocolate milk, she hurried to find her sparkly pink backpack that Lydia had sent from her trip to Paris.   

"I'm ready for kindergarten, Daddy!"  

Looking down at Grace with a small smile, Stiles scooped her up into his arms.   

"Are you sad, Daddy?"   Stiles shook his head and held her tighter.   

"Not sad, baby girl. I'm just going to miss you today, that's all."  

Grace kissed Stiles' cheek, pulling back a little and wrinkling her nose.  

"You're all scratchy." Stiles laughed quietly, knowing his 16 year old self would be proud of the stubble peppered along his cheeks and jaw.  

"Sorry, lovebug. How about we take some pictures of you so everyone can see how beautiful you look."   Pulling his phone from his pocket, he held it up in front of them. Grace wrapped her arms around his neck and squished her face against his.   

With both their faces in focus, Stiles snapped a few pictures, his smile growing wider as he watched Grace's face on the display screen.   

"Funny faces, Daddy!"  

Wrinkling her nose, she squeezed her eyes shut and stuck her tongue out. In another one, Stiles turned to her and pressed a kiss to her cheek, and she  squealed in delight.  

"Okay Gracie, now we have to take a nice one to send everyone."  

Over the summer, Lydia had taught Grace the importance of standing nicely for pictures, and she stood in front of the front door with her hands on her hips, smiling up at Stiles.    

Grace laughed hysterically when she saw their picture with the funny faces, and told Stiles that it should be his phone background. Stiles had never been able to say no to her, and changed it right away.   

He sent a text to his father, Melissa, and all his friends, including the picture of Grace smiling up at him. He included the caption 'Our favorite superhero ready to defeat her first day of Kindergarten!'  

It didn't take long before the messages started pouring in, exclamations of how adorable Grace was, and wishes of good luck. Stiles' favorite was the one from Allison.     

Scott just opened your text and started crying! He said to tell Grace that Uncle Scott is proud of her and loves her very much. (So does Aunt Allison!)  

Stiles laughed for a long time about that one, even though it didn't surprise him at all. Scott had always been a big softy, and things had gotten even worse once he and Allison got married and had kids. After he read the text to Grace, she made him send a text back, telling them she loved them, too. Stiles included comments of his own about Scott growing a pair, but she didn't need to know that.  

Making sure Grace had everything she needed for the day, including her lunch that she'd been very particular about, Stiles buckled her into the backseat of his Jeep and headed to the elementary school across town.